


Everything Is Not What It Seems

by Anki_Shai



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: All Human, Alternate Universe - Beauty and the Beast, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, M/M, Magic, Smaug is not evil
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-27
Updated: 2014-10-27
Packaged: 2018-02-22 22:31:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2524064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anki_Shai/pseuds/Anki_Shai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thorin Oakenshield is not a cruel Prince, he just doesn't care about others. His heart is devoted to greed and hatred, to never let anyone in and pretend he is a cold-hearted monster. Smaug, a warlock brought to this world to interfer with destiny has decided all Thorin Oakenshield needs is the magic behind True Love. However, this may turn out to be a little tricky if you are put under a spell that let's everyone see the ugliness behind greed and arrogance...For who can fall in love with a monster like him? Who can break the spell and show Thorin not everything it what it seems to be?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Everything Is Not What It Seems

**Author's Note:**

> I know, I know , I rpomise to those of you who are reading 'Counting Stars' tha I'm going to keep working on the story, next chapter would be out soon. Meanwhile, this idea came to me while I was delirious and I decided to give it a try. Hope you like it, remember English isn't my native language so I apologize for any mistake you may find here.

**Unexpected Visitors**

 

_There is a story that goes like this…_

 

A long time ago, in a far, far away land called Erebor, there lived a young Prince.

He was handsome and intelligent, with broad shoulders and a well-build body. He had strong arms that could handle a sword and a hammer, his body was that of a warrior but also of a leader. With black hair and deep blue eyes, the young Prince was a strong willed man whose only problem was his personality. Cold and uncaring, the young Prince care for no one but himself, greed growing in his heart sometimes made him cruel and arrogant, he thought himself better than everyone else, easy to anger and difficult to please. His position and his own selfishness made him think that whatever he wanted he should have. And sometimes, he didn't care about what he had to do to obtain the desire things of his heart.

With each passing day darkness grew in his heart and soon he was deaf to the voices of his family and closets friends who could only watched the destiny of the Durín line consume him little by little.

One day, after a long day hunting in his forest, the young Prince and Balin were unloading the horses in the backyard stables. Balin was frowning after another discussion with the Prince when suddenly a stranger called their attention. It was an old man, with grey hair and a dirty face, he was wearing worn out clothing, and he smell as if bathing had been the last of his worries. The old man was shivering for the day was cold and threatening a snow storm. Darkness was growing and night was soon to fall, the old man seemed desperate as he took a step forward to the two friends. The young Prince put his hand on the handle of his sword while sneering down at the stranger.

“Good afternoon, my good Lord.”

The young Prince tensed up, turning slowly while his hand went directly to the sword hanging on his left side. His blue, piercing eyes eyed the stranger with disdain and a growing sneer on his face.

With dirty pieces of clothing covering his shivering body; his hair was messy and a mixture of black and dirt. His eyes were clear with a hint of yellow in them; he didn’t have two of his teeth and is left side show a nasty scar of past fights. This was all the young Prince saw, and it was enough to show his disgust at the stranger, to his side Balin looked at the beggar with pity and kindness in his eyes.

“I don’t know if it’s a good afternoon, lad. But, what can we do for you?” The young Prince turned to his friend with a hint of disbelief in his face.

The beggar smiled showing of his yellow teeth, “I apologize if my presence here has disrupt you of your tasks, I’ve found myself in a predicament. Night is falling fast and I don’t have a place to pass the on-coming storm.”

Balin opened his mouth to speak but the Prince beat him to it. The Prince eyed the stranger standing right in front of him while unsheathing his sword.

“You have disrupted me and my friend; you are in my property and have the audacity of speaking out of place without the proper addressing.” The Prince poked the stranger hard on his chest making the beggar take a few steps back. “Who do you think you are, coming all the way to my castle and demand a place to stay? Go! Leave before I think it better and take your life in payment for your insults.”

The beggar seemed completely destroy at those words, Balin shifted nervously his eyes glancing at his Prince with disappointment and sadness. The Prince for his part pursed his lips poking the stranger once more.

“Leave, filth!” The Prince seemed decide to stab the stranger who made his skin crawl. He hated it, he hated those poor people out there who were always looking for favors, the same kind of people his father and his grandfather had to deal with. Those who had taken what his ancestors had worked so hard to obtain.  

The beggar took another step back, lifting his face to the young Prince, “Please, good Lord, I just ask for a night to pass the storm, out there I will die…have some mercy.”

“Good, then it’s going to be one last filthy beggar in the world.” The Prince turned around evading the disappointed look on Balin’s face.

Suddenly time seemed to stop around them, a strange wind surrounded them as thunder broke into the afternoon, lighting up the castle.

“My, such a cold heart…” The voice changed; suddenly it was a smoky, deep voice what left the mouth of the beggar.

The young Prince turned around to see a beautiful man behind him, red eyes with long, straighten up hair. His clothes had been replaced with a dark armor; his skin was smooth as marble and his smile made the Prince tremble.

“Who are you?” Balin asked putting out his sword and positioning himself between this stranger and his Prince.

The stranger smile, his eyes dancing merrily as they looked from one man to the other. Finally, he focused his red eyes on the Prince.

“There is not compassion in your heart; there is only greed and hatred.”

“What is it to you? Who are you?” The Prince pointed his sword as well ready to face this new stranger.

“Who am I? I’m the one who is going to teach you a life lesson, Thorin Oakenshield.” The stranger lifted his right hand a golden glow surrounding it while he spoke. “Even after watching your father and your grandfather succumb to the gold sickness and go mad with greed…you still follow in their footsteps.”

“Shut up! Do not talk about my family that way!” Thorin moved to attack but the stranger disappeared only to appear behind him. Thorin turned fast but the stranger had his growing hand right on top of his chest.

“I was sent to see if there is hope for you.” The stranger said and his voice rumbled around Thorin like a storm. “I’ve been watching you, Thorin Oakenshield. You have lost everything and you have decided darkness is the best companion and still…there is hope…a hope only True Love can help you accomplish.”

“T-there is no such thing as True Love.” Thorin replied struggling to strike down the stranger, his heart closing of to the words coming from the stranger.

The stranger smirked leaning closer to Thorin, “You better pray there is, or else the curse will take you and your companions directly to hell.”

Thorin didn’t have the time to react when the glowing light surrounded him and the castle. He would wake up hours later transformed, a change being curse to never be able to leave his property and to be surrounded by darkness, his once handsome face now showing the true nature of his soul. And his friends? The last members of his family? All of them sharing the cursed destiny of the Prince, all of them waiting for True Love to touch Thorin Oakenshield and be over with the curse that would consumed their lives on the tenth year after the curse was put into action.

But time passed, and Thorin seemed bitter and angry at all times, always scaring off the few travelers that dare to approached the enchanted castle. And thus, for nine years the curse remained in place and the inhabitants of Erebor reminded in the shadows until their story became a simple legend.

 

* * *

* * *

* * *

 

 

_\- Nine years later -_

“LEGOLAS!” The scream of the young girl broke the silence of the forest, she ran down the road with her bow firmly grasp on her right hand. Her eyes moved from one tree to the other, her ears at the ready to catch any sound that may lead her to her best friend.

Tauriel sighed shaking her head, she knew they were lost so, why was Legolas being so stubborn? The young girl strolled down the road until she reached biggest tree sneaking out of the forest.

“Legolas?” Tauriel glanced upwards protecting her eyes from the only light coming from the sky.

“Nothing.” Legolas appeared from behind the branches of the tree, frowning he glanced at his best friend resting comfortably on the branch. “Nothing, I could only see trees all around us.”

“I told you we shouldn’t have gone down the bridge path.” Tauriel mumbled approaching the tree and sitting down, “What are we going to do now, Legolas? Your father won’t notice we’re missing until he gets home!”

Legolas bit his lower lip worriedly; it wasn’t only that his father would not notice they were missing until it was too late. Thranduil had wrote telling him he would be rpobably be home in two days time, no one knew where they were for Legolas had lied about their location. He had told Bard they were going near the clearing leading to the abandoned city of Esgaroth, an old town that had been abandoned almost ten years ago. Legolas and Tauriel had always been curious about the other path, the one leading to some strange road everyone seemed to avoid. Tales about bandits and mercenaries usually transformed themselves in stories about magical creatures scaring off travelers who dare to cross the bridge. The stories were good enough for both young adults to try and get a good look.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have left the road.” Legolas finally said moving down the tree until he was right next to Tauriel.

“No, you shouldn’t.” Tauriel mumbled shrugging. “Still, I shouldn’t have teased you about your poor archery skills.”

Legolas glared at Tauriel crossing his arms in a stubborn gesture, “You are not better than me, Tauriel.”

Tauriel opened her mouth ready to argue but decide against it, it wouldn’t solve anything. She stood up placing her bow behind her back and fixing the straps of the quiver. Legolas did the same glancing around while pointing at the old road they had been following for more than an hour.

“Should we continue?” Legolas asked pointing the road leading to a more thicken part of the forest.

“We should probably stay here, or seek a river.” Tauriel looked around her, “Perhaps, if we find a river, we can follow it to the bridge.”

“It’s worth a try. Let’s go then, I think we should keep walking down this road. Even if it doesn’t take us to a river it must take us somewhere.”

None of them said the road would probably lead them to a dangerous place; they didn’t even considered the possibility. For now, the only thing they wanted was to find something familiar that may lead them home.

As they kept on walking both, Legolas and Tauriel, started noticing the little things around the road. Some branches or grass were looking smashed, broken as if someone or something had passed through this place. The path seemed thick but rather well-used. The both of them looked at one another readying their bows as they kept on advancing. Then, as suddenly as the forest had appeared around them it opened up and what they were presented was something completely unexpected.

“What is this?” Legolas asked in awe at the sight before him.

Tauriel shook her head looking at the gate wearing the face of a dragon in the middle of it. The big, black castle raise above the gate, looking menacing and cold down at them; the sudden appearance of lightning in the sky startled them.

“What’s…did…did you know about this?” Legolas asked turning to Tauriel before letting his blue eyes take in the form of the castle before him.

“No, of course not. I don’t think anyone knows about this…” But even as she said those words, something inside her told her that may not be true.

How come everyone knew about Esgaroth but no one knew about a huge castle just a few hours away of the town?

This was too suspicious, too unexpected.

Legolas seemed spell bounded, he took a step forward and before Tauriel could do or say anything the young man had reached the gate. His hand closed around the metal bar trying to push the door open.

“Legolas! What are you doing?” Tauriel asked in a hush.

“I just…I need to see this closely.” He said pushing the door again until it finally gave in.

“I don’t think this is a good idea.” Tauriel approached her best friend resting her hand on his shoulder. Legolas turned to her looking up at the darkening sky and then at the castle.

“It’s going to rain, and nightfall is approaching fast. Bard won’t be looking for us until rain would start falling or tomorrow when he noticed we're not there.” Legolas nodded at the castle. “Maybe, we can seek refuge in here, at least until morning.”

Tauriel bit her lower lip unsure, she glanced at the castle and for a moment she could swore she saw something moving in the huge windows.

“I don’t know…Legolas, look around you, this place…it looks as if someone has been keeping it well-cared.” Tauriel looked around and sure enough the place was tidy, as if someone had taken the time to clean up the fallen leaves of autumn, or the growing weed that time would surely make grow in a place like this.

Legolas shrugged before wrapping his arm around Tauriel’s shoulders.

“Nothing bad is going to happen.” He said with conviction in his voice. “I promise you. We just enter this place, stay close to the door and wait morning. We don’t have to explore the castle or anything like that.”

Tauriel hesitated again, her heart was beating fast and she had a bad feeling about this whole thing. But, Legolas was right. Night would fall any moment now and with it rain and cold would come. They couldn’t risk a cold or anything worse by staying in the open.

“Very well, but not exploring, or so help me I’m going to tell your father who was the one setting him up with Bard.”

Legolas paled at the thread, he nodded rather quickly and then turned around taking Tauriel by the hand and leading her to the main door. Unbeknownst to them, the two young adults were being watched by a pair of curious eyes.

* * *

* * *

* * *

 

 

Night had already fallen accompanied by a heavy rain and the sound of the blowing wind. Thranduil fixed the heavy coat on his shoulders; the lamp hanging from his hand could barely light up the saddle and the reins on his horse. He sighed tiredly looking around while trying to see ahead of him; a part of him wished he had stayed behind waiting for Haldir and Gandalf to get to his house but he couldn’t wait any longer, he had been away from home for far too long and missed Legolas and Tauriel dearly. He never thought the storm would catch up to him, or that the night would look so dark and cold.

He tried to sing but his voice was drowned by the sound of blowing winds and thunder rumbling into the night. Thranduil didn’t know where he was, he only knew that as he kept on riding down the road the forest seemed to be closing all around him.

The path was growing darker, his horse was getting restless and Thranduil felt _someone_ out there, watching him. He tensed, his hand going to his sword while his grey eyes swept around trying to catch any movement coming from the shadows.

Thunder broke the silence and lightning lit up the sky, the horse whinnied shifting nervously. Thranduil didn’t know how long he was out there in the cold under the rain; he was just trying to locate the road that would lead him to the town. He hurried his horse aware of the heavy weight of a stare on his neck.  

Another silver light broke into the night, the horse whinnied and Thranduil moved just on time to see a shadow approached him before everything went black.

The horse reared up throwing Thranduil off before taking off into the night. A shadowy figure approached the young man now lying unconscious on the ground. It was small yet well-build, with a dark blue coat covering his body and a hood covering his face. The figured tilted his head, his foot poking the fallen rider.

“Thorin, what have you done?” Another figure came out of the shadows, reproach filling his voice.

“He was an intruder; he came all the way to my forest and was riding directly to the castle.” Thorin replied with a deep, gruffly voice. “I did what any Lord would have done, Balin.”

“He was probably lost, you shouldn’t have.” Balin replied approaching his best friend. Balin looked down at the stranger, noticing the beautiful features, and the blond hair. The man glanced back at Thorin who, apparently, could not take his eyes off of the stranger.

“What should we do? We can’t leave him here.” Balin said kneeling down looking for any more injuries.

“Why not?” Thorin replied stubbornly, Balin scowled glaring at Thorin.

“He could die.” Balin sighed shaking his head. “I’m not going to argue with you, Thorin. We’re taking him back to the castle, you hurt him and I’m not going to let an innocent man died because you’re still too prideful and to angry with the world to help.”

Thorin opened his mouth to reply but soon was silenced by a hand on his forearm; Dwalin shook his head as he too was wearing a frown. Thorin knew the both of them were right; he shouldn’t leave the man lying there. Still…Thorin glanced at the man again while Dwalin and Balin lifted him up and took him to their ponies. Something inside Thorin stirred but soon was shut off by the cold-hearted Prince. In the morning, when the stranger woke up he would be face to face with the monster of the forest and would leave, just like the others before him.

* * *

* * *

* * *

“I don’t think this is a good idea.”

“You already said that.”

“And I’m going to keep saying it until you heard me out and stop doing stupid things.” Tauriel replied forcefully glancing around the hall.

Legolas waved his hand pointing at the stairs leading to the second floor, “I swore I heard something, we can’t leave it like that, Tauriel!”

Tauriel rolled her eyes putting an arrow from her quiver and readying her bow, Legolas was just a few steps ahead of her with his bow at the ready. He had promised to not go further into the castle but the noise had been too loud to ignore it. The both of them were scared not really knowing what they were about to face, but Tauriel did agree with something. If there was someone there with them, they needed to find it before it found them. Still, they were only two and their fighting experience was almost non-existent, she just hoped whoever was up there was  scared of two young adults with arrows or else they were going to be in big trouble.

The second floor was divided in two different wings, one to left and the other to the right. Everything was clean, not a single ounce of dust web or anything indicating the castle was abandoned. Tauriel furrowed her brows lifting her arms pointing his arrow to an invisible enemy. She stepped silently moving behind Legolas who was just as silent as her.

The two of them looked around trying to get their eyes accustomed to the darkness, the sound of heavy rain falling on the roof made it almost impossible to hear much unless it was a loud banging. Tauriel tensed up when the lighting brought the silver light through the window, soon after the rumbling of thunder filled the hall.

Legolas stopped for a moment and Tauriel didn’t get what was happening, she was about to speak when the cold touch of a blade pressed against her neck made her stop.

“Look what we got here boys,” An amused voice said in the darkness, Tauriel tensed feeling someone behind her. “Two bandits in the night.”

“We’re not bandits.” Legolas spoke but his voice had a slightly tremble in it. The dark figures laughed.

“You come in here without being invited, wandered off and then come in with bows and arrows.” Said another voice. “It looks to me that you are trespassers then…”

Tauriel tried to glance out of the corner of her eye but the figure beside her was elusive.

“We’re not trespassers, it was raining, we got lost and found this place. We…We thought it was abandoned.”

Silence followed Tauriel’s words, the blade on her neck hesitated but she didn’t dare to do nothing. She lowered her bow and taking the arrow away slowly, her eyes fixed on Legolas who was still pointing his to the darkness of the hall. The moment seemed tensed, as if the strangers in the dark were waiting for something.

“Trespassers still…The decent thing to do was to ask if there was anyone home.” Said one of the voices. “We don’t take lightly to people like you…”

Tauriel mused over those words, what did he mean by that? She was about to ask when a yellow light appeared out of nowhere and another figure made his appearance.

“Fíli! Kíli! What the hell are you two doing? Lower those weapons immediately!”

Tauriel gasped when her eyes finally found the owner of the voice, it was a small figure with hairy feet and pointy ears.  It was a little man who was glaring at the two other figures.

“What are you?” Legolas finally said looking not only at the figure with the torch but also at the two called Fíli and Kíli. The small figure scowled approaching them and glaring heatedly at them.

“I am someone with better manners than you, Boy!” He said glaring at Legolas and silencing him with a single glare. Then with a slightly bow and a softening of his voice the figure introduce himself. “My name is Bilbo Baggins, and these two are the future lords of house of Durin, Kíli the young, and Fíli the noble.”

Tauriel turned to see a young man beside her, he was shorter than her by a head, with dark hair, dark eyes and some beard growing on his face. He glanced at her puffing out his chest, smirking cheekily at her.  The other one had blond hair, a full bear already growing on his face with two small braids tiding up the beard. He had clearer eyes, but there was no doubt these two were brothers. Bilbo, however, seemed shorter but older than the two of them.

“I’m Legolas Greenleaf, future Lord of Mirkwood, and this is my sister, Tauriel.” Legolas said recovering his voice but with a hint of mistrusts in his eyes. “I apologize for this intrusion but we got lost and…”

“Yes, yes, I heard the story.” Bilbo said waving his hand, his blue eyes moved to Fíli then to Kíli. “I told you to lower those weapons, boys. This is no way to treat guests.”

“They’ve come here uninvited.” Fíli replied but still he lowered his sword. “Uncle is not going to be happy.”

“Uncle is never happy.” Replied Kíli rolling his eyes. “We should probably throw them out before he is back.”

“No! Please! I promise we will leave, but at least let us pass the rain in here.” Tauriel said suddenly, the prospect of going back into the forest with this rain and the night so advanced was not something she was aching to live.

Kíli glanced at Fíli then at Bilbo who was looking just as worried. Legolas moved to stand beside Tauriel looking around him while tightening his hold on the bow.

“Take them to the kitchen.” Bilbo said suddenly. “I think Bombur is cooking something and they could use some food and some warm.”

“But, Bilbo…” Fíli started arguing but stopped at one single look from Bilbo.

“I’ll deal with Thorin, if it is necessary. The young girl over there is right; we can’t let them out with this weather.” Bilbo said firmly. “”You’re uncle may be a heartless man, but we’re not.”

“Are you even men?”

“Legolas!” Tauriel chided the blond hitting him on his shoulder. Kíli and Fíli looked greatly offended while Bilbo merely looked sad.

“Dwarves, actually.” Said Bilbo. “Not by election. Now, off you go, there is no need for you to get into this mess anymore.”

Legolas opened his mouth to speak but another hit on his shoulder stopped him, he glanced at Tauriel who narrowed her eyes at him shaking her head. Kíli and Fíli lead them down the hall to another pair of stairs leading directly to the kitchen. As soon as the heavy doors of the kitchen closed behind them the main gate opened Thorin and company had arrived with an unconscious Thranduil unknown to the other unexpected visitors in the castle.

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
